Eusebio: Portugal says goodbye to football legend

Eusebio, the former Portugal and Benfica striker, passed away on Sunday January 5 after suffering a heart attack. He is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time.

Born in Mozambique, which was under Portuguese rule at the time, Eusebio moved to Lisbon to play for Benfica. It was there that he won 11 league titles,five national cups and the 1962 European Cup. He scored 733 goals in 745 matches.

"Portugal has today lost one of its most beloved sons, Eusebio da Silva Ferreira. The country mourns his death," President Anibal Cavaco Silva told state television. The government declared three days of mourning.

Eusebio's coffin was taken to Benfica's stadium where fans gathered to pay their last respects. One of Eusebio's wishes was to have his body taken around the stadium so that supporters could say goodbye.

While those who watched Eusebio in his pomp during the 1960s will never forget his grace and guile, there are those who have grown up with stories of the great man. The tales of his achievements have been handed down from generation to generation.

Fans unfurled a banner with Eusebio's face on it as the coffin was paraded around the stadium.

It was not just fans of Benfica who were mourning Eusebio's passing. Supporters of rivals Sporting Lisbon put aside their differences to celebrate the life of the striker -- one of Portugal's most famous men.

The coffin bearers place Eusebio's body down on a gold stand on the halfway line. The funeral takes place later Monday.

HIDE CAPTION

Death of a legend

'The Black Panther'

Never forgotten

Final journey

Young and old

In their thousands

National icon

Final goodbye

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Eusebio, 71, died from a heart attack, former club says

The striker was considered one of the sport's greatest players

Portugal star was top scorer at 1966 World Cup

Compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo among those to pay tribute

(CNN) -- It started with a haircut.

The year was 1960, and Bela Guttmann sat in his chair at the local barber's shop.

Guttman, one of the most iconic football coaches of his day, had just led Portuguese club Benfica to the European Cup and achieved legendary status.

But that was not enough for him -- he wanted more.

While pondering his plans, a gentleman in the next chair, who happened to be visiting the country as coach of touring Brazilian side Sao Paulo, let Guttmann in on a little secret.

He told the Hungarian about "A Pantera Negra" -- the man they were calling "The Black Panther."

A legend had begun to spread from Mozambique about a young player plying his trade with a youth team in the African country's capital, now known as Maputo, with links to Benfica's great rivals -- Sporting Lisbon.

The son of a white Angolan railway worker and a black mother from the Mozambique community, Eusébio da Silva Ferreira was the name on everybody's lips.

Guttmann took no chances -- Eusebio's mother had already turned down the advances of Italian club Juventus, so he made the family an offer they could not refuse.

The financial incentive worked and the player joined Benfica, much to the dismay of Sporting officials, who had dallied in their pursuit of the player.

The rest, as they say, is history -- and what a history: 733 goals in 745 matches confirmed Eusebio's status as one of the all-time greats.

As Portugal said goodbye to one of its most famous sons Monday, following his death at the age of 71, thousands took to the streets to farewell a man who had brought joy and inspiration to a generation as the government declared three days of mourning.

"As a man, he was quite humble, kind and very down to earth," said CNN's Duarte Mendonca, a Benfica supporter who was in Lisbon for the funeral.

"Only a man such as Eusebio would be able to unify fans in such fashion. That says a lot."

During an illustrious career in which he won 11 Portuguese league titles, five domestic cups and a European crown, Eusebio became a legend of world football.

From the moment he entered national consciousness by helping Benfica retain the European Cup in 1962, where he scored twice in a thrilling 5-3 final win over Real Madrid in Amsterdam, the country began to fall in love with the man from Mozambique.

His incredible acceleration and lethal right foot helped him take Benfica to the very top of the European game, while he was honored as the continent's best player by winning the Ballon d'Or in 1965.

But it was at the 1966 World Cup that he became worldwide sensation as he produced a series of performances which brought adulation from from across the globe.

His nine goals, the most by any player at the tournament, helped Portugal reach the semifinal where it was beaten by the host nation England, which eventually went on to win the tournament.

Such was Eusebio's impact that Inter Milan reportedly offered the striker 40 times his salary to lure him away from Benfica and even approached his wife to sign the contract on his behalf.

The move was scuppered, however, in rather bizarre circumstances though, as Portuguese Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar refused Eusebio permission to leave the country.

Instead, Eusebio remained at Benfica, scoring goals and helping his side reach the 1968 European Cup final, but this time losing to Manchester United at Wembley after extra-time.

It was in that contest that Eusebio's sportsmanlike qualities shone through.

With the game tied, Eusebio had the opportunity to win the contest but when his effort was brilliantly saved by United keeper Alex Stepney, the striker simply stood and applauded. It was a gesture which would not be forgotten.

That same year, he won the European golden boot as the continent's top goalscorer -- a feat he repeated five years later.

After leaving Benfica in 1975, Eusebio moved across the Atlantic to play in the U.S. before retiring in 1980 following ongoing problems with his right knee.

He continued to work in football as an ambassador for Benfica and Portugal's national side, meeting with high-profile players on European match nights and attending global tournaments on a regular basis until his death on January 5, 2014. He left behind his wife Flora and their two daughters.

Eusébio's coffin at da Luz where he wanted it to be. The SLB President promised him one last trip around the stadium. pic.twitter.com/2sdqA3z8ww